Andrea, no longer tropical, dumping heavy rains Friday

Tropical Storm Andrea dropped several inches of rain on the Baltimore area Friday and could bring several inches more, causing some flooding and road closures.

The rain started Thursday night, and is forecast to continue into early Saturday. As much as 2-4 inches of rain were expected across the region from Thursday through Saturday. A flash flood watch was in effect through 10 p.m. Friday.

There will be no two-way operation on the Bay Bridge on Friday because of the weather, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority. That could cause delays in the afternoon rush hour, MDTA said.

Some flooding was occurring around the region. Westbound Northern Parkway was closed at Perring Parkway, from Hillen Road to McClean Boulevard, because of flooding, city transportation officials said.

About 400 Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. customers were without power as of 6:30 p.m. More than 5,800 outages, most of them in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties, had been restored.

At Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, 2.35 inches of rain had fallen since Thursday evening as of 6 p.m. Friday. In downtown Baltimore, 2.04 inches were measured by 6 p.m.

The National Weather Service received reports of more than 2 inches around Annapolis, Severna Park and Pasadena in Anne Arundel County and in Aberdeen and Perryman in Harford County as of early Friday morning.

A flood warning was issued for Cecil County about 2 p.m., with bands of rain falling at a rate of an inch an hour expected there and in southeastern Pennsylvania, according to the weather service.

Andrea technically became a post-tropical cyclone Friday afternoon, meaning it no longer had tropical storm characteristics but instead behaved more like a nor'easter, storms common in the winter. The storm still had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph as of 5 p.m., as it moved through eastern North Carolina.

The storm could cause isolated tornadoes in southern Maryland and on the Eastern Shore, forecasters cautioned. A tornado watch was in effect until 8 p.m. for St. Mary's County in Southern Maryland and Dorchester, Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset counties on the Eastern Shore.

In Baltimore, the rain is expected to taper off early Saturday, but more showers could be on the way as Andrea collides with a separate system. A chance of thunderstorms is possible Saturday evening, with daytime highs in the lower 80s.

Highs are forecast in the mid-80s Sunday, with another chance of showers overnight into Monday.

More storm and rain chances are possible early next week, with temperatures in the 80s.